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United Nations Report Says 17% Of Food Wasted At Consumer Level
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2011 estimated that one-third of the world’s food was wasted or lost ever year
Highlights
- 17 per cent of food available to consumers was wasted in homes: Experts
- The United Nations is producing a Food Waste Index
- The report estimated that 931 million tonnes of food was wasted in 2019
London: An estimated 17 per cent of food available to consumers was wasted in homes, retail outlets and restaurants in 2019, according to research published by the United Nations. The report, produced jointly by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and WRAP, also found that consumer waste was broadly similar in rich and poor countries.
The United Nations is producing a Food Waste Index (FWI) as it seeks to support efforts to halve food waste by 2030.
For a long time, it was assumed that food waste in the home was a significant problem only in developed countries, said Marcus Gover, CEO of WRAP, a charity which works with governments to reduce food waste.
“With the publication of the Food Waste Index report, we see that things are not so clear cut.”
The report estimated that 931 million tonnes of food was wasted in 2019, roughly equal to 23 million fully loaded 40-tonne trucks – bumper-to-bumper enough to circle the earth seven times.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2011 estimated that one-third of the world’s food was wasted or lost ever year.
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The FAO has produced a Food Loss Index which shows that around 14% of the world’s food is lost from post-harvest up to, but excluding, the retail level.
An estimated 8 to 10% of global gree
vnhouse gas emissions are associated with food that is not consumed (waste and loss), a similar amount to road transportation.
Forests are cleared, fuel is burnt and packaging in produced just to provide food which is thrown away. Meanwhile, rotting food in landfills releases more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
If we want to get serious about tackling climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste, businesses, governments and citizens around the world have to do their part to reduce food waste, said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP.
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(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.
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